Engine starter



SM. 25; R92.

v v. BENDIX ENGINE STARTER Filed March. 28. 1921 sem., 25, w23.

V. BENDX ENGINE STARTER Filed March l28. 1921 2 smmmshoot 2 PatentedSept. 25, i923..

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Application led March 23, 1921. Serial No. 456,096.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1,-V1NCENT BENDIX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Engine Starters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to engine starters for starting or crankinginternal combustion engines, and the like, and more particularly to thatpart of the starter known as the drive or transmission for operativelyconnecting between the prime mover, such as an electric motor, and apart' of the engine to be started such as the flywheel thereof withwhich such drive is caused to engage. rlhe object of my invention is toprovide a simple and etlicient form of drive which operatesautomatically for engagement purposes and for disengagement purposeseither manually or automatically according to whichever of two typesherein shown is employed. The various features of advantage and utilityin my construction of drive will be apparent from the descriptionhereinafter given.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of an enginestarter embodying one form of my invention; Figs. 2,

3 and 4 sections on the corresponding section lines of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 aviewjsimilar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification as to thelocation of the spring; Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustratinganother @5 for-m of construction; Fig. 7 a section on the line 7 7 ofFig. 6 andl Fig. 8 a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating a formmodified as to the location of the spring.

My invention maybe embodied in dii'er- 4m. ent forms and types of driveswithout departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance while myinvention is shown in connection with a drive of the direct or singlereduction type and also of the inboard type, it will be understood thatmy invention is applicable to the indirect or so-calle-d doublereduction type and also to the outboard type.

Referring to the particular embodiment .50 of my invention shown inFigs. 1 'to 4, the

starting motor 1 is*l provided with an extended' armature shaft 2 whoseouter end is journaled in the .bearing 3. i The driving member which 'ishere a pinion 4 is mounted on the shaft 2 for longitudinal movementthereof and rotary movement therewith. in the present instance, thepinion is mounted to slide upon the longitudinal splines 5 of the shaftwhich splines engage-the longitudi= nal internal grooves 6 indiametrical opposite sides of the interior of the bore of the pinion asshown in Fig. 2. rihis pinion when moved longitudinally to the left,Fig. 1, is adapted to mesh with the teeth 7 of the engine member whichis herea flywheel 8.

The driving member or pinion is normally pressed with a yieldingpressure (while in its normal position shown in full lines) in adirection toward the flywheel teeth but the same is restrained by anoperating means which is under the control of the operator. The yieldingmeans which tends to force the pinion into mesh with the flywheel is acoiled spring` 9 encircling the shaft 2 and bearing at one end againstthe outer or right hand end 'of the pinion and at its Aother end againstthe collar 10 which is secured to the shaft 2 in suitable manner as bythe pin 11. When the pinion is in normal position as shown in Fig. 1this spring 9 is under compression and tends to force the pinion intomesh with the flywheel whenever the restraining influence, hereinafterdescribed, is relieved, so that the spring can expand.

The means for controlling the action of the spring 9 consists of anactuating rod or plunger 12 which here extends throught-,he dashboardv13 of an automobile and more particularlythrough a hole 14 in a platelwhich is fastened to such board. This rod also has its bearing in abracket 16 anchored to and extending inward from the dashboard. Theinner end of the rod 12 is bifurcated vso as to provide a shifting yoke17 terminating in inturned rollers 18 which are received within thecircumferential groove 1.9 formed by the two circular Hanges 2O at theouter end of the pinion 4. This rod 12 is detachably locked in itsoutward position in suitable manner. En the present instance thislocking means consists of a shoulder 21 on the upperA side of the rodadapted to engage the upper side of the hole 14 and held thereagainst bymea-ns of the spring 22 bearing against the lower side 'of the rod 12.

When the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, the rod 12 isheld in its outward position (shown in full lines) by said lockln meansand conseuentlv lthe spring 9 w ich is in compresse condition, isprevented from expanding and from shifting the pinion into mesh with theilywheel. `However, when the operator opcrates the rod 12 by depressingthe handle 23 and thereby releases it from the lock,

such rod will be moved inwardly by the expanding action of the sprin 9,or both by the operator and spring. s a resulththe pinion 4 will bemoved automatically mto mesh with the flywheel as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1.

In the present instance, the rod 12 serves the additionalpurpose ofactuating a switch for the current to thestarting motor and theconstruction herein shown is preferably so arranged that the motor willbegin to rotate and thereby start to rotate the pinion 4,`just beforethe latter reaches the flywheel teeth, thereby assuring the propermeshmg of the pinion teeth and the flywheel teeth.

Referring to the electrical switch details, the bracket '16 is providedwith the two electrical contacts 24 which are arranged parallel to eachother and in the path of movement of a connector 25 secured to andextending upwardly from the rod 12 and adapted tohave a wiping contactbetween the two contacts 24. These contacts are electrically connectedby the wires 26-26 with the motor 1.

y Describing a cycle of operation and starting with the parts in theirnormal position shown in Fig. 1, the operator merely depresses thehandle 23. thereby unlocking the rod 12 and permitting the spring 9 toshift the rod inwardly vand consequently to shift the pinion 4 to theleft into mesh with the flywheel teeth. However, just before the pinionreaches the flywheel teeth, the connector 25 will close the motorcircuit and start the motor and its shaft into rotation, therebyfacilitating the meshing of the pinion teeth and the flywheel teeth. Theflywheel will now be rotated and when the engine Starts on its ownpower, the operator will draw the rod 12 outwardly, thereby .compressingthe spring 9 so as to be in condition for the next starting operation.At

the same time, the rod 12 will be locked in Y its outward position andheld locked by the spring 22. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form ofconstruction which is the same as Fig. 1 with the exception that thespring 27 which has the same function as the spring 9, is associatedwith and located on the rod 12 instead of encircling the shaft 2. Theoperation of the spring in this changed location is the same as before.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modified form of construction whichdiffers from that previously described more particularly in theprovision of means for automatically demeshing the pinion from theflywheel. In this construction, the correspondinrr parts are iven thesame reference numera s. The sha t 2 instead of being a plain shaftprovided with a spline at its inner end is provided with screw threads28 at such inner end and the pinion 4 is threaded thereon. As a result,when the pinion 4 is moved inwardly by the action of the spring 9 in themanner hereinbefore described, the pinion 4 is slightly rotated by thecooperation of its threads with the screw shaft thereby facilitating themeshing of the pinion teeth and the flywheel teeth. Nevertheless, Iprefer to turn the current on to the motor before initial engagement ofthese teeth occurs. When the engine has started on its own power thepinion 4 is automaticallydemeshed by reason of the excess speed ofrotation imparted to the pinion by the flywheel whereupon such pinion 4is moved longitudinally to the right against the pressure of the spring9. The rod 12 is likewise shifted'to the right and when such rod reachesits normal position, the locking means operates to hold it in saidposition as shown inv Fig. 6.

The construction shown in Fig. 8 is the same as that of Fig. 6 with theexception of the location of the spring 29 which is here associateddirectly with the rod 12 instead of directly with the shaft 2. However,the general action of this modified form is the same as that abovedescribed.

The specific construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is made thesubject-matter of a copending application filed on April 6, 1921, SerialNo. 459,037.

I claim:

1. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving membermounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movementtherewith, means tending to shift the driving member longitudinally intoengagement with a member of the engine V to be started, and mechanismfor restraining such means and for withdrawing the driving member fromits engagement and into normal position.

2. An engine starter drive including a ro- ICS tatable shaft, a drivingmember mounted,

tendin to shift the driving member longi- Y tudina ly into engagementwith a member of the engine to be started, said driving member having acircumferential groove and a rod having a yoke engaging the groove andadapted to hold the driving member in normal .position against theshifting action of said means and to withdraw the driving member fromits said engagement.

d. An engine starter vdrive including a rotatable shaft, a drivingmember mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotarymovement therewith, means tendin to shift the driving member longitudinaly into engagement with a member of the engine to be started, a rodengagin the driving member and adapted to hol the same in normalposition a inst the` shifting action of said` means an to withdraw thedriving member from its sald engagement, and a locking device for saidrod comprlsing a stationary plate through which the rod passesA andwhich engages said rod when in normal position.

5. An eng l e starter drive including a romember mounted tatable shaft,a driving h f movement t ereo thereon for lcngitudin'a and rota t inglto shift the driving member longitudina y into engagement with a memberof the engme to be started, a rod `engaging1 the driving member andadapted to ol the same in normal position a ainst the shifting action ofsaid means, an a locking device for said rod comprising a stationaryplate having a hole through which the rod passes, such rod having anotch on one side to engage a side of the hole, and a s ring forpressing such notch against said si e. V 6. An engine starter driveincluding a rotatable shaft, a drivin member mounted thereon forlongitudinal-ir movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, acompression spring encircling the shaft and acting on the driving memberto shift it into engagement with a member of the engine to be started,and mechanism for restraining such action of the spring, such mechanismcomprising a manually controlled rodengaging the "drlving member andadapted to hold 1t in normal position against the ressure of said springand to withdraw the riving member from its said engagement.

7. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a drivin membermounted thereon for longitudina movement thereof and rotary movementtherewith, means tendin to shift the driving member longitudina y intoengagement with a member of the engine to be started, mechanism forrestraining such means, an electric motor for rotating the shaft, and' aswitch governing the movement therewith, means tend-4 current to themotor and controlled by such. mechanism.

8. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving membermounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movementtherewith, means tending to shift the riving member longitudinally intoengagement with a member of the engine to be started, mechanism forrestraining such means, an electric motor for rotating the shaft and aswitch governing the current to the .motor and under the control of suchmechanism for admitting current to the motor just prior to initialengagement of the driving member and the engine y member.

engine to be started, a reciprocating rod engagin the driving member andadapted to hold t e same in normal position against the shifting actionof said means, an electric motor for rotating the shaft, and a switchgovernin the current to the motor and controlle by the rod in itsreciprocations.

10. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a drivingmember mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotarymovement therewith, means tendto shift the driving member longitudina lyinto engagement with a member of the engine to be started, areciprocating rod engaging the driving member and adapted to hold thesame in normal position against the shifting action `of said means, anelectric motor for rotating the shaft, a switch governingthe current tothe motor and havlng a palr of contacts, and a connector mounted on therod and adapted to connect the contacts.

11. An engine starter drive including a rotatable sha-ft, a drivingmember mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotarymovement therewith, means tending to shift the driving memberlongitudinally into engagement with a member of the engine to bestarted, a reciprocating rod engaging the driving member and adapted tohold the same in normal position against the shifting action of saidmeans, an electric motor for rotating the shaft, a switch governing thecurrent to the motor and having a pair of contacts, and a connectormounted on the rod and adapted toconnect the contacts, said connectorbeing so located on the rod that it will connect the contacts and startthe motor before initial contact of the two members.

VINCENT BENDIX.

MMD

